By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
Some aggrieved senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja as part of moves to defray the threats of defection by the lawmakers over the unfavorable outcome of the recent party primaries in which majority of them lost return ticket to the parliament.
Recall that the senators numbering about 22, had vowed to defect from the party to the opposition over the outcome of primaries in their state ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Speaking at the meeting, President Buhari urged the Senators to exercise restraint in their decision to defect from the party.
Some APC lawmakers have defected recently. Appealing to the lawmakers, President Buhari said the defections were a threat to the APC’s majority in the National Assembly.
After the meeting, leader of the delegation, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, who is also the Chief Whip of the Senate, said the lawmakers felt disenfranchised by the process, adding that the aggrieved senators would no longer pursue defection from the APC.
Writing on his social media page, Kalu said “Earlier this afternoon, I led the 22 aggrieved Senators and members of the All Progressive Congress to President Muhammad Buhari (GCFR).
“Our meeting with Mr President was successful and the issue of decamping from our party has been laid to rest”.
Lately, the All Progressive Congress (APC) has been uneasy following the gradual loss of the party’s majority in the senate.
Tensions have also been heightened over the rumoured bid of the 18 other senators to defect to other political parties, after the party earlier lost seven senators to the opposition parties.
